There's No Other Feeling
by shockandlock
Summary: Ace and Marco used to be best friends, but after a falling out, Ace never wants to see him again. It's been four years now, and Ace is a senior in high school, and things are going great- well, until Marco shows up into his life once more. Suddenly, Ace's emotions are spiraling out of control again. How is he supposed to face his first love again? Request for 80TakeshITsuna27.
**A/N: So I received this request from 80TakeshITsunA27 back at the beginning of December I believe, and I for one was flattered to get to write a request. It was also a rather interesting idea. I'm rather proud of this one. It ended up a lot different from what I had originally been planning though. Beta'ed by the wonderful lunarshores!**

 **Anyways, 80TakeshITsunA27, this is for you! I want to thank you for giving me this prompt and for having so much patience since it took me so long to finish this, and for these reasons, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

A letter. Just a simple letter, sitting harmlessly atop his backpack, but its presence confused Ace. What possible reason could anyone have to leave him a letter at school? Still, he wasn't one to turn back, and it's not as if satisfying his curiosity would hurt.

He reached out and unfolded the piece of notebook paper, hurriedly glancing around to make absolute sure that no one was around- because knowing his classmates, they would just be their nosy selves and try to snatch it away from him- and read the message waiting for him.

 _I want to tell you how I feel about you. Meet you at our usual place?_

Ace stood there speechless for a moment. To an observer, it must've looked as he was confused, unsure of how to process this information, but he'd already processed it, and his heart was racing rapidly in his chest as he reread the words as if he couldn't believe they were real. He knew exactly who this letter was from.

"Does Marco really want to talk to me?" he wondered in quiet whisper. But he squashed down that doubt when he held the letter carefully scrutinizing the handwriting. It had to be Marco's! The "y's" and "g's" had the same loops Marco always made when he wrote, and the signature was definitely his.

Ace found himself unable to sit still that period, knowing that free period was only an hour away. 45 minutes. 30 minutes. 10 minutes. He tapped his pencil against his desk rapidly, earning a glare from the teacher, but he didn't notice, eyes glued to the clock that ticked, ticked, ticked.

One minute.

Once the sound of the bell hit his ears, he bolted out the door, almost forgetting his lunchbox. He rushed through the halls to get outside, ignoring the annoyed yells of the teachers about running in the hallways. He was determined and nothing could stop him now.

Their spot near the top of the bleachers was empty when Ace got there, but he wasn't surprised in the slightest, laughing to himself. Marco was always one to take his time, and Ace could practically hear him nagging him for impatience.

While watching the crowd of students exiting the building for free period for any sign of Marco's unmistakable pineapple hairstyle, Ace's mind began to drift into possible scenarios of how this could possibly play out. For a moment, he giggled at the thought of Marco acting shy, cheeks red from the embarrassment of confessing to him, but soon, that image was replaced with the one of calm confidence that Ace was so used to.

"Are you alright, yoi?"

It was Marco. Ace's heart jumped in his chest as he slid into the seat next to Ace.

"If you didn't pack enough food, you can have mine," he offered, holding up his lunchbox.

"N-no! It's fine!" Ace finally answered.

He wasn't sure why, but his words coiled around his tongue and he continued to blab. "I mean, I was just so excited for free period, and I'm still a bit antsy, but it's fine, Marco! It's not really a food problem, but I wouldn't really say no- you know? And-"

Marco pressed a finger to Ace's lips, stopping his ranting, and Ace could've sworn that he melted into his seat at that moment. "Slow down, yoi," he chuckled. "Just relax for a bit. Here, I made one of your favorite today with some leftovers."

Okay. That seriously couldn't be a coincidence if Marco made him a _steak sandwich_ today.

Ace took it gratefully, deciding to eat it before his own. It was a gift from Marco after all. He was only able to finish the one though because the butterflies in his stomach beat their wings faster and faster every minute he sat next to Marco.

There was a comfortable silence between them, which was something nice about their relationship. Ace could talk Marco's ear off, and he wouldn't really mind. Still, Ace could hear his own heart pounding against his chest as if it were trying to escape. He prayed that Marco couldn't hear it as well.

"You're not eating," Marco noted with a frown. "Are you sure everything's alright?"

' _C'mon, Ace!'_ he thought. ' _Marco should be the one who's nervous. Not me!'_

Ace attempted to respond with a simple 'Yeah, I'm sure', but the words bunched up in his throat, and he could only nod.

"If you say so, yoi," Marco accepted, "but just talk to me if something's wrong, okay?"

He was always so caring. Ace beamed at him.

Ace was sure that he loved Marco, even if they were both still young, and he wanted to make Marco happy too. When he looked back on that day in the future he would blame those feelings on the words he said next.

"I love you, Marco."

Because, how nice would it have been to surprise Marco with confessing his feelings first?

But Marco simply blinked. And stared. And stared. Ace tensed under his penetrating gaze.

Before Ace could say anything- to deny what he just said to spare himself from the embarrassment- someone _laughed._

"Oh man! I can't believe he actually did it!" Bellamy guffawed, clapping a hand down on Marco's shoulder, who still seemed to be frozen in place. A crowd had gathered because of the noise, leaving Ace paralyzed as well. They hid their mouths behind their hands, but Ace could still see the upturned corners of their mouths.

They were laughing at him too.

"Man, to think that you're stupid enough to actually _confess your love!_ What an idiot, right, Marco?"

Ace's heart continued to pound in its rapid rhythm, and every beat twisting his insides in pain. And through all this Marco stayed silent.

In the next moment he was surrounded, and the faces of his classmates never looked more demonic as they continued to talk, whisper, _laugh_ around him.

And still, Marco remained silent.

Why wasn't he saying anything? Why wasn't he defending him or confessing his love like he was supposed to?

Unless…

Ace had never felt more betrayed in his life.

His thoughts were so jumbled right now, but each and everyone one of them was tearing him apart. The longer he stayed there in the spotlight of humiliation, the more his chest pounded painfully, and the harder everyone's stares burned into him- Marco's especially.

He didn't realize it but suddenly he was breathing heavily, and things were becoming a blur around him. His instincts had overtaken him in that moment.

And for the first and only time in his life, Portgas D. Ace ran away.

* * *

Ace gasped as he shot up in bed, clutching the sheets to his chest. He breathed heavily for a few moments, mirroring the nightmare. He glanced over at the clock to check the time and cursed. 6:15. He had beaten his alarm today, but there wasn't enough time for him to go back to sleep.

So he threw the covers off and trudged over to his closet, digging through it to find some suitable clothes. It was the middle of senior year, and he was still having the same nightmare of that day years ago. Sometimes it varied, and the faces around him melted into twisted shadows, and he was rudely awoken by the demonic image of Marco's eyes burning into him.

It hadn't gotten better over time.

Somehow it had been worse today. Instead of monsters or shadows, the nightmare had been exactly as he remembered it.

Ace reached the bathroom, turning the sink on to splash some water on his face, but instead, he just listened to the sound as the water rushed out of the sink. It was relaxing to him, and he let it wash away the thoughts of the nightmare.

"Stop wasting the water!" Sabo yelled, pounding on the door.

Ace sighed, quickly washing off his face and shutting off the faucet. He stared into his reflection, ultimately deciding that he looked absolutely fine for the day.

He wasn't going to let some stupid nightmare ruin his day. His time with Marco was long in the past.

"Ace!" Luffy yelled, jumping onto his back when he entered the kitchen. Used to many years of this, Ace caught Luffy's legs and balanced him easily. Despite this, this stupid stunt of Luffy's always annoyed him. "I'm hungry!"

"Go bother Sabo then!" he growled, dropping Luffy's weight and ignoring the thump and whine that sounded when Luffy collapsed on the ground. "If you don't get up, I'll steal your breakfast!"

Luffy's eyes widened when he heard Ace's words, and suddenly he was gone. Ace laughed when he heard Sabo's startled yelp, annoyance gone. It was just a normal morning for him, and somehow, that fact was reassuring.

It was time to put on a brave face. Everything was just fine.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Nami asked, Ace sliding into the desk next to her.

"Why would I not be?" Ace shot back, tapping his pencil on his desk. He had been pretty sure that he was acting normally, like the nightmare never happened.

"You're actually awake, for one. You're never this awake even with extra coffee."

Sometimes Ace wondered how Nami became one of his best friends outside of his brothers. She was too observant for Ace's own good sometimes- though thankfully not as observant as Robin.

But unfortunately, this still meant he couldn't completely dodge her question. "I beat the alarm," he answered truthfully, but knowing Nami wouldn't believe him he quickly tacked on a lie. "So I was able to eat a bigger breakfast than usual. I'm fine, really."

This wasn't the first time that she became suspicious of his nightmares, but Ace tended to act differently. Today he wasn't sulking like he normally would be, taking seeing the nightmare in its original form as a sign that he wasn't afraid anymore.

"Just keep telling yourself that," Nami sighed, doubt still heavy in her voice as she turned back towards the front of the room.

"Really, it's no big deal," Ace said, taking the opportunity to change the subject. "Anyways, have you seen Robin yet? I needed to hand in that assignment."

"Wasn't that due last week?" Nami questioned, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Maybe."

"You know, you wouldn't have this problem if you just did your work on time," Nami nagged, then sighed and waved a hand. "Like that's going to happen though. She had to go the office. Something about a new student."

"New student? Ouch. In senior year too," Ace commented with a visible grimace. "I'd hate to move my last year."

"Who wouldn't?" Nami agreed. "Your life has pretty much been turned upside-down at that point, and it's hard to make memories when you haven't made friends yet."

"You can say that again."

'Maybe I should reach out for once,' Ace mused, gaze drifting out the window. He knew what it was like after all.

The conversation ended there because Robin entered the room as the bell rang. The rest of the class returned to their seats without trouble. They knew by now that annoying Robin wasn't the best idea.

"Morning class! You all read the chapter like you were supposed to, I assume?"

Ace groaned, the sound muffled under the unanimous response of "Yes". He didn't read the chapter. Thankfully, Robin was pretty lenient on him, but that wouldn't save him from a reading quiz. He was doing badly enough in this class

"No quiz today, though," she continued, and Ace sighed in relief. "But today's an exception since we have a new student."

"See? Told you," Nami whispered as curious conversations broke out across the room. Ace had to admit that he was curious as well. What was the new student like?

"Well? Please come in."

Were they hot? Ace didn't want to be single forever.

"Hello."

It would be nice if they could get along.

"My name is Marco Newgate."

Ace's eyes shot towards the front when he heard the name, and he froze up when he saw the face. He was hot alright, hotter than Ace remembered. Marco's hairstyle identical to his old one, and his blue eyes were as beautiful as ever, but he was taller- Ace remembered that they used to be the same height- and his jaw had chiseled out. Fashion sense was relatively the same with some minor differences; muscles were slightly outlined by the fabric of his button up, a blue sash threaded through his belt loops. He looked calm and collected, but that's what was bothering him.

A calm and collected Marco was an unchanged Marco, and it only made Ace's past memories rear up in the back of his mind. Suddenly, his vivid nightmare seemed a little too coincidental.

There was something about this whole situation that Ace could not comprehend, but he knew for sure that he did not want to deal with it right now.

"Marco, could you please take the seat in the back behind Ace?"

But of course luck had to screw him over- or maybe it was just Robin messing with him.

He heard the footsteps approaching, so he quickly ducked his head down, but it was obvious when the presence- Marco's presence- lingered beside his desk for a few moments before continuing forward. There was no way that Marco had forgotten him- not that Ace expected him to.

This was going to be a long day.

* * *

As soon as class was over, Ace bolted out the door. He didn't want to stick around for Marco to say anything to him. He caught a brief glimpse of Nami's suspicious look, but he decided to ignore it for now. He wanted to go as long as possible without having to answer questions.

He headed to his next class, which was chemistry, and thankfully, Marco didn't follow him. What kind of twist would it be if he somehow became Ace's lab partner as well? At least everything was the same in this class, and Ace preferred to keep it that way since it was his favorite. Unfortunately, he still couldn't focus very well. He chewed on his pencil, trying to keep his mind busy, but he failed.

Why was Marco here? And now of all times? It was his senior year, goddamn it! He was supposed to have a nice relaxing year, but no. Fate decided to screw him over. How could he relax now that Marco was going to the same school as him?

Consumed by his thoughts, his next few classes dragged by. Making it to lunch was an ordeal, but it was a relief. Not just because of the food, though he hadn't even noticed how starving he was. Eating would definitely take his mind off of things.

"Breathe, Ace," he muttered to himself. He placed a grin on his face. "Everything's normal. You've got this." So with that, he gripped his lunch tray, and walked over to his usual table to sit down with his Sabo and Koala.

But apparently his grin was suspicious because Sabo raised an eyebrow at him. "You're surprisingly cheery today," he noted. "Did something happen?"

"It's nothing!" he insisted. Maybe if he pretended hard enough, then this whole thing would fade away into nothing.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep! Absolutely fine."

But of course, his cheery façade could not last forever. Soon after, Luffy bounced up to them, and before Ace knew it, he was excitedly yelling into his face.

"Oi, Ace!" Luffy called.

"You don't have to yell. I'm right here."

"Did you know that pineapple guy is here now?" Luffy asked obliviously. "We haven't seen him in years! You can be friends again now!"

Part of Ace wanted to see what Sabo's reaction to this was, since he no doubt figured out why Ace was acting strangely, but he was too preoccupied with himself. He almost dropped his fork right into his huge plate of spaghetti. It was hard to think when all his thoughts and anxieties from earlier came rushing back to him. In fact, it sucked.

When the whole fiasco with Marco happened in middle school, he and Sabo never ended up telling Luffy why he and Marco had a falling out. Well, as much as a falling out as it could have been. They hadn't yelled or argued at all. Their friendship- and any sort of communication they had- ended when Ace ran away that day.

Sabo pulled him aside after he had finished eating. "So that's why you've been acting so strange," he commented. "You already saw Marco."

Ace remained silent.

"Look, Ace. I don't think you should have to interact with Marco if you don't want to, but I think you're strong enough to deal with it," he encouraged. "Don't do anything rash, and who knows? Maybe you can just ignore Marco."

That was something Ace loved about Sabo. He was always great at giving helpful advice.

"Alright," he said deciding that he was going to try to pretend that Marco didn't exist. If he pretended that Marco didn't exist, then it would be like nothing happened at all.

"I'll try."

* * *

It was hard to try though when Marco was assigned to be his project partner. They were the only group of two out of the entire class, the rest of whom were sorted into threes. On top of all that, their job was to pick a famous pirate crew from history and explain the significance of their flag. When Ace was still friends with Marco, they used to talk about pirates all the time. Ace loved them.

Wonderful. Just wonderful.

Despite how hard the task had been, he had been doing rather spectacularly at avoiding Marco in the first place. But maybe Marco was also letting him have his space, which was something that Ace was admittedly thankful for. Now that they had to work on a project together, it would be impossible to avoid Marco, and asking Robin to switch partners now would be suspicious. Man, he really hated group projects.

Thankfully, class was over for now, and as usual, Ace rushed out, but this time something was different.

Marco actually followed him this time.

"Wait up, yoi!" he called, but all Ace did was scowl and continue on his way. "Ace!"

Finally, he stopped. "What is it?"

It was hard for him to look at Marco- it was too painful- but still, he did it.

"The project?"

Ace had to bite his lip to contain a bitter chuckle. Of course that was the only thing he wanted to talk about. It's not as if he would finally own up to his horrible prank after all these years. But that was Ace's own goal, right? To pretend that the whole thing never even happened? Maybe Marco was trying to do that too, so he wouldn't have to ever face the consequences.

Just thinking about that made him grip his backpack strap tight. "I'll meet you after school in the library then," he answered curtly, turning on his heel.

He could've sworn he heard Marco whisper his name before he was out of sight.

* * *

His cold behavior only made things awkward later.

When he arrived at the school's library after his final class, he was planning not to wait for Marco, but once he had returned to his spot after gathering some books, Marco was sitting there typing on his laptop. He stopped briefly to look up at Ace and smile in greeting. "Hey."

Ace didn't smile back, dropping the books on the table in a loud thump. The librarian hissed at him, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He flipped through one of the books, starting to take notes once he found the page that he had been looking for.

"Did you decide which flag we're doing?" Marco said. "Because I think Whitebeard would be good, yoi."

Ace grunted in acknowledgement, though secretly, he had been thinking the same thing. It probably wouldn't take Marco long to figure that out though. He as a smart guy, and judging by the way he was eyeing the stack of books, he had already noticed.

"You were thinking the same thing then!" he noted happily. "I know they were one of your favorites, so I thought they would be good, yoi."

Ace dropped his pencil when he heard those words. He had thought that Marco was going to ignore their former friendship- thought being the key word here. From the way Marco was speaking, it sounded as if he had every intention to try to be all buddy-buddy with Ace again too.

Well, he wasn't having any of it.

"Look, can we just work on the project?" Ace hissed.

Marco's smile transformed into a frown, eyes shining with concern. "Did I say something wrong?"

At that moment, Ace slammed the book shut, losing hope of ever concentrating. "Stop trying to be all friendly to me," he growled. "You think after what you did to me that can just waltz back into my life like nothing happened?"

"Ace-"

He stood, firmly planting his hands on the study table. "I don't want to be friends anymore! So can you just shut up so we can work on this project in peace?"

"Portgas!" He hadn't noticed it, but suddenly the librarian was standing right next to him. "If you cause any more trouble, I'm going to have to ask you to leave!"

Ace shut his mouth then, plopping back down into his seat. What an old bat.

Marco didn't try to speak with him the rest of their time together, though he did try to pass Ace a note. It was promptly ignored.

* * *

When Ace got home, Sabo was already cooking dinner. He threw his backpack on the floor, and sat down at the kitchen table, groaning and laying his head down on the table.

"I'm assuming the project isn't going too well?" Sabo inquired, not bothering to turn away from the pot that he was stirring.

"Horrible," Ace grumbled. "He's trying to buddy up with me again."

"Have you tried giving him a chance?"

"What? Are you crazy?" Ace sat up straight when Sabo said that. "Weren't you the one who told me that I shouldn't have to talk to Marco if I didn't want to?"

Sabo just shrugged. "Well, he's in my calculus class, and he hasn't been too bad so far."

Calculus. Marco had always been great at math. "Traitor."

"Real mature." Sabo turned towards him, rolling his eyes. "But he's your project partner, so at least try to get along. You're already trying to pretend that it never happened, but it's been almost four years. I think it wouldn't be too bad to give him a chance to explain."

"You're the one who told me to ignore him!"

Sabo turned back to the pot, and Ace's suspicions immediately arose. "Well, I may or may not have had some time to talk things over with him."

"Like I said. Traitor."

As much as Ace hated to admit it, Sabo was right. How was he going to get a good grade if he didn't work with his partner? And it was a topic he liked, so he shouldn't let some grudge ruin that, at least.

* * *

He didn't speak with Marco in history that day, but he beat Ace to the library after school. He opened his mouth to shoot Ace another friendly greeting, but he hesitated, instead choosing to look back down to his laptop.

Ace sighed, swinging his backpack off of his shoulder to place it on the ground. Well, he might as well do it now.

"Look," he whispered, catching Marco's attention. "I'm sorry for what I said yesterday."

Marco shook his head. "I should be the one apologizing, yoi," he whispered back. "I guess I should've known how you felt towards me after…" he trailed off. After a moment of silence, he placed a friendly smile on his face, but Ace had known him for far too long to believe that it was real. "I promise I won't make you think about that now, so let's just work, shall we?"

And so Marco turned back to his laptop screen, fingers dancing across the keys.

Ace frowned, huffing out a pout. He had already decided to try to be friendly with Marco, and here he was, brushing it off? It was typical of him to be so considerate.

"Hey, I'm not done yet," he continued, hoping his tone wasn't too harsh. Marco looked back up, interested.

"I- I want to start clean," he stuttered, unsure of how to phrase it. "I mean, one day, I want to know why you did it, you're right. I don't really want to think about it right now. So let's try for- uh- something at least."

A certain tenseness Marco had softened up as his shoulders relaxed. "Really?"

Ace nodded. "Baby steps, right? Now, I need to go get some books. We're here to work."

"No need," Marco whose genuine smile had returned, He slid over a couple of books towards Ace. "I gathered them when I was waiting for you, yoi. And here." He stooped down to pull something from his bag. "Pops had some stuff about the Whitebeards. I think it will help."

The book Marco pushed towards him had a thin film of dust on top of it, but his eyes lit up when he recognized it. He and Marco would look at this book all the time when they were younger. It was a journal, a logbook from the days when the Whitebeard pirates still reigned strong. It was a miracle that something like this survived, but it was always fun to read about the adventures.

"If you can find anything helpful about their flag in there, by all means, but I'd still need it back after the project's done," Marco said, but Ace was too busy fawning over the old journal to listen, already flipping through the pages in wonder. "I'll see if I can find anything online, and if you want me to help you with the books, just ask."

"Mm-hm." But Ace still wasn't really listening.

He was instantly consumed in nostalgia when he read the first line on the page: I think I've decided to join. That blond bastard was pretty convincing. Can I really find a place for myself here?

"Ace," Marco called.

"What? Oh, sorry." He blushed, just now aware of the fact that he completely ignored Marco in favor of the book.

Marco chuckled. "You still love it then, I see. We're sure to do well on this if that's the case."

Ace shot him a cheesy grin. "I think you mean that we're going to ace this!"

"You really haven't changed a bit, yoi."

* * *

Sabo had been right- not that that was a new concept.

True, he and Marco still hadn't really discussed what had happened, but it hadn't been too hard to take "baby steps" as he had called them earlier. He started by greeting Marco first in the mornings with a small "hello", and eventually, he was able to add on a smile to that. Later in the week, Luffy (Ace had no idea where he found him) invited him to sit with them at lunch, and Ace found himself scooting over, offering a space next to him.

He was glad that he was able to make new memories of Marco. He thought that his grudge would stay with him forever, but these happier, more recent memories began to replace the old ones in his mind. Not all of them of course since it's not as if they were the best of friends, and that day still sat in the back of his head, a cruel reminder.

The day before the project was due was when they decided to head back to the library to make some finishing touches. There had been a surprising amount of information on the flag of Whitebeard. Ace hadn't remembered it all from his childhood, but learning new things about his favorite pirate crew felt great. The presentation that they would have to do along with the project was pretty kickass. They had used plenty of visuals, quoted the journals, and it wasn't some shoddily put together slideshow that a third grader could've made.

Ace and Marco were probably experts at this by now.

That day, Marco asked him if they could make some last minute touches to the project, but when they arrived at the school's library (together this time), they found out that is was closed for a faculty meeting. Stupid faculty.

"I guess we can try to touch it up tomorrow morning," Ace sighed.

Yet Marco was able to easily pick up on his disappointment. "We could just go elsewhere, yoi," he suggested.

"Like where?"

Ace wasn't expecting it, but he was pretty sure that his heart skipped a beat when Marco took his hand. "Follow me."

He led Ace down to the parking lot, and when they stopped, Ace had to raise an eyebrow at his choice of car. "Do we need to stop by the soccer practice first? Don't worry. I can wait."

"Haha, very funny," Marco shot dryly. "Just get in the sedan."

Ace wasn't going to complain about not having to walk- as long as Marco wasn't taking them someplace weird and creepy. Marco having a car like this made a lot of sense anyways. He had a lot of siblings, ones that Ace hadn't seen in a long time. It made him feel guilty since he was actually good friends with a few of them too.

They ended up heading to the café at the shopping center that was near the school. Ace lived close, so he had been here a couple of times. He had to commend Marco for his thinking. The nice quiet atmosphere would be great for finishing up their project. And, well, there was food, which was always a positive thing in Ace's book.

"Want to order something while I go set up?" Marco asked.

"Sure thing!" Ace, who was already reading the menu responded, but he was rather surprised when Marco pressed a couple of beri into his open palm. Ace's eyes widened. "Oh no. I couldn't possibly-"

"You can," Marco interrupted, also taking Ace's bag for him. "My treat." And before Ace could make any further protests, he walked away to find them someplace to sit.

Ace, too busy thinking about how courteous Marco could be, almost didn't hear the girl behind the counter ask for his order. "Um, yeah! I'll have…"

He was thankful that he was given a tray to take his order. Not only did he order a couple of sandwiches and a drink, but he also ordered a coffee for Marco. It was his money, so he might as well get him something too. Unfortunately, he didn't know what kind of coffee Marco liked, so he settled on the house blend, making sure to take some sugar just in case.

Marco had already set their papers out and opened the presentation on his laptop. "I see you chose to get a snack."

Ace shrugged. "I guess."

"Of course," Marco chuckled. "I haven't forgotten your eating habits."

Ace understood that. It was hard for anyone to forget that. "So what else did you want to add? I couldn't really think of anything, but if you think it will make the presentation better, then go ahead."

"About that," Marco started, leaning forward and shutting his laptop much to Ace's confusion, "I didn't actually want to work on the project."

Ace hesitated from taking a bite out of his sandwich, and he set his plate back down on the table.

"I just thought it would be a good opportunity to finally explain, for, you know…"

Of course he knew. How could he not know? After a bit of partner work and some friendly interaction, Marco had finally been able to catch him with this. He knew that they couldn't avoid the topic for forever- it wasn't healthy- but still, Ace had been hoping to put it off for a little longer.

Marco suddenly quieted, bringing a hand up to his face. "Gods, this was a mistake," he whispered to himself. "I'm so sorry, yoi. I shouldn't have brought it up. I shouldn't have tricked you."

Part of Ace wanted to drop the topic, but he knew that if they didn't talk about it now, then it would constantly loom over their heads, an uncomfortable presence.

"It's fine," Ace said, and Marco looked at him, seemingly surprised. "I… I need to hear it."

"Are you sure?" Marco brought out. "I completely understand if you want to leave after."

"I'm a big boy, Marco," Ace answered. "I can handle myself." Though he wasn't sure if he was trying to convince Marco or himself with those words.

Marco took a deep breath, and still leaned over, started. "Alright, yoi. Here goes."

"I'm not really sure how to start, but I want you to know that I'm fine with taking all the blame. You wouldn't have run away if I actually did something after all. That being said, I wasn't the one that gave you that letter."

Ace frowned. "But it was your exact handwriting." He recognized

"I swear that I'm not lying," Marco said, palms clasped together tightly. "I wouldn't have told you that if it wasn't true, but I understand why you don't believe me."

Ace still had his doubts, but he decided to listen. "Then how did it happen?"

"Apparently, there was a girl in one of the other classes that Bellamy payed to forge my handwriting," Marco explained. "I don't blame her though. It wasn't her intention to hurt us- you. It was Bellamy's. Do you remember that fight he picked with you?"

"Yeah," Ace answered. "That stupid bastard was talking crap about Luffy."

"You've always been protective in that way," Marco commented before continuing. "But obviously, he didn't appreciate the injuries."

"But I was the one that got fucking suspended!"

"I know, but apparently he didn't think that was enough. That note was his way of getting back at you, yoi. It was a prank. A stupid, cruel prank."

Ace figured it had been a prank from the very start, but he had been so heartbroken that he never really considered anyone else, yet it was that stupid bastard, Bellamy. All this time, he had blamed Marco, cast him aside- his best friend- when the real enemy hadn't even remained in his thoughts.

"I tried to go to your house later, but Sabo wouldn't let me in. I swear that I kept trying too. I really wanted to explain things to you, but he always told me that you didn't want to see me."

"Y-yeah. I remember that too. I was too upset to see you. I… I actually cried," he found himself admitting.

"Damn it!" Marco cursed suddenly, and Ace swore that he almost jumped out of his seat. "I wish I had tried harder to fix things. That way, you wouldn't have been hurting for so long."

It had all been a stupid misunderstanding.

"I'm to blame too, you know," he accepted. "I should've known that you wouldn't do something like that to me. I mean, we were best friends."

"Ace, don't-"

"I missed you a lot too, you know?" Ace continued, words just spilling out of his mouth now. "I didn't think I could ever face you again. I-I lost my best friend, and now that I know I should've just h-heard you out-"

He hadn't realized that tears were coming until it became hard to speak, choking over his words. He was Portgas D. Ace, damn it, and Portgas D. Ace didn't cry, especially in public! He tried to wipe at the corners of his eyes with his palms, but he wasn't able to do much before Marco enveloped him in a warm embrace.

Marco held him for a long time- he wasn't actually sure how long- but he whispered apologies into his hair all the while. Eventually, he stepped back, and gathered their papers. "Do you want me to take you home now?" he asked quietly.

Ace nodded.

"I'll see if I can get a box for your food."

While Marco was gone, Ace was still thinking. It was a little embarrassing crying in front of Marco, so he wasn't sure what to say now. Unfortunately, he wasn't given much time alone. Marco was back quickly with some boxes and a paper bag. "Let's go."

"It's funny, y'know," Ace suddenly blurted out, taking Marco aback. "That we would find each other."

Marco's surprised look was replaced with a smile in that moment. "I didn't know that you could be so cheesy."

"Sh-shut up!" Ace stuttered with a blush, and Marco laughed. Ace couldn't help laughing too as Marco took his hand.

They stepped outside, hands still clasped together, but a sudden clap of thunder caught them off guard, and a torrent of rain started to pour down. Yet still, they continued to laugh as they became soaked through their clothes.

Ace quickly apologized for getting the seats inside Marco's car wet, but the other just brushed it off and asked for his address.

"I don't live far, so I usually walk," Ace answered.

"Well, it's a good thing that I'm driving you right now, yoi."

They found that they were enjoying each other's company far too much, and Ace was rather disappointed at how short the car ride was.

"See you tomorrow then?"

A thought popped into Ace's mind then as the rain continued to beat against the car. "Why don't you stay awhile? It doesn't look like the storm will let up anytime soon."

Ace was very grateful when Marco smiled and said, "Of course."

* * *

Their presentation had gone absolutely swimmingly, and they both received high marks and a compliment from Robin for their teamwork. And just like that, things were starting to look up. Ace had his best friend back.

When the incident first happened, Ace had never wanted to see Marco again. He honestly thought that he would never forgive Marco too, but just being with him made him fall back into their old habits.

Their project schedule of working in the library after school had become habit to them, and it was a relief to know that Marco could help him with math like he had done with middle school. Marco and Ace spent more time together out of school too. Their free afternoon had been spent watching a movie together, and every Friday after, they had done the same thing. Marco even started to park at Ace's house in the mornings just to wake him up and walk to school with him.

With all the smiles and jokes, things felt just like old times.

Unfortunately, Marco couldn't come with him today since he had to help take care of some of his sick siblings. On the other hand, Marco had also promised him that he would make it up to Ace later. Ace was filled with anticipation just thinking about what that meant.

"You're looking happy today," Nami noted, interrupting Ace's cheery humming. "Well, considering that Marco's not here."

Ace's eyes scrunched in confusion. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Do you really have to ask?" she sighed. "You're head over heels in love with him!"

Ace's cheeks flushed red when he processed those words.

"It's like you couldn't be more obvious if you tried," Nami continued. "Geez, you know we have to deal with your heart eyes at lunch and stuff, right?"

Admittedly, Ace couldn't say that Nami was actually wrong. He really was still in love Marco.

It hadn't taken him long to realize it. Marco had hardly changed, and it was easy to fall back in love with what Ace had loved before, his kindness and responsibility and much more, and Marco was even more handsome than before too.

"I'm surprised that you haven't confessed yet."

"I-I can't confess!" Ace immediately responded. "I don't want to ruin things between us. I can't lose him again."

Nami raised an eyebrow. "Again?"

"Er- we were kinda best friends in middle school."

"What?!"

"Shhh!" Ace hushed. "Private conversation!" Thankfully, Nami closed her mouth. "Long story short, let's just say there was a forged letter, and a bad misunderstanding."

Nami bit her lip, but Ace didn't think much of it since she stopped soon after. "But it wouldn't be a misunderstanding this time, would it?"

"Look, can we leave it alone for now? I swear that I'm happy with what I have."

"Fine, but just think about it, okay? I think Marco would give you a chance."

"Yeah right," Ace scoffed.

Nami had to be wrong. There was no way that Marco could actually love him back now, right?

* * *

Yet Ace was unable to pull his thoughts away from Nami's words, especially since Marco had come over for their movie night bearing delicious-smelling pizza and a beautifully iced chocolate cake. He really did follow up on that promise.

"Something wrong, yoi?" Marco asked, rubbing Ace's shoulder in concern.

"I-I'm fine!" Ace stuttered, wanting to slap himself from how nervous he sounded.

"If you say so, but don't be afraid to tell me if something is wrong, okay?" Marco smiled at him, and Ace's heart fluttered.

They were interrupted when the phone rang, and Ace saw this as the perfect opportunity to escape and catch his breath. "I'll get it!" he said, bolting up, but he gasped when he bumped into the corner of the table just a little too hard, and his soda spilled all over Marco. "Shit!" he cursed, rushing to get some napkins, the ringing phone forgotten. "I'm sorry, Marco!"

Marco kept his smile though instead of getting angry at Ace. "Don't worry about it," he said, but suddenly, he was peeling his shirt off in a casual manner before Ace could say anything.

Ace had already been expecting it, but the view made things really obvious. Marco looked good. Well, he had already looked good, but his muscles were toned perfectly, and Ace found his gaze wander just a bit too low. But that's not what was the most shocking. The most surprising thing was the navy blue crescent and cross displayed proudly across his entire torso.

"Your tattoo!" Ace exclaimed. More words spilled from his mouth before he could stop them. "I think you got a little too into the project." He immediately regretted the words, but thankfully, Marco, who let out a warm laugh, seemed to find them amusing.

"Erm- why do you have that?" Ace asked trying to correct his words. "Sorry."

"Why do you think Pops has all that stuff from Whitebeard's crew?" Marco asked, laying a hand proudly on his chest. "Pops was descended from him, and I thought it would be fitting to keep up with the family tradition, yoi."

"No wonder you wanted to do Whitebeard," Ace mused. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It never really came up." Marco shrugged. "Can I borrow some clothes?"

"Uh- of course!"

Ace couldn't stop thinking about the sight, even when he mulled over things to do while Marco was here. He put some popcorn in the microwave, popped a movie in the DVD play, but his thoughts kept leading back to Marco- and not just his body either.

This was only making his feelings stronger, damn it!

"Hey, Ace," Marco called, coming down the stairs. "I put my clothes in the dryer. Is that fine with you?"

"Yep! Just come downstairs already though! I'm getting lonely," he joked, hoisting some extra blankets onto the couch, and Marco caught him in the act.

"What's this?"

"Blankets make things more fun."

"So you want to make a fort then."

Ace nodded enthusiastically, and with that, the two went to work. As Ace dashed upstairs to gather more pillows, Marco started to prepare the blankets and couch cushions. When Ace got back downstairs, he chucked a pillow at Marco's head with a war cry, but Marco just dodged and smirked.

"Nice try, yoi." And in response Ace stuck his tongue out at him. Ace didn't care if they were acting like children. It was just nostalgic to do stuff like this with Marco just like they had when they were younger. "Help me set up?"

Marco had already moved some extra chairs over for support, and the coffee table had been pushed aside to make room for their fort. They hadn't built a blanket fort together in such a long time (and sometimes they would get help from each other's siblings too), but the steps they had to take were still very familiar to them, and soon they were sitting inside a nest of pillows and blankets under a makeshift canopy, munching on popcorn as the movie played on the TV screen.

Ace was so happy that he couldn't really focus on the movie, he found himself drifting off instead. Their nest was so comfortable… He wouldn't miss much if he just closed his eyes for a moment, right? He just felt so warm…

He was half asleep, but he was vaguely aware of something pressing softly against his forehead, and then there was a soft whisper…

"I love you, Ace."

Upon, hearing those words, Ace gasped, and sat up, startling the one who had said those words in the first place. He had been ready to drift off, but now, he was definitely awake.

He gaped at Marco. "Wh-What did you say?"

Marco looked just as shocked as he did. "A-Ace? I thought you were-"

"Asleep?" Ace finished. "How could I be when you said that?"

Marco didn't say anything and he leaned away to keep his distance. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "I shouldn't have… I should go, yoi."

He saw Marco back even further away and start to stand, but Ace's body acted before his brain, and he grabbed Marco's hand. "No!" he exclaimed, and Marco stared back at him with wide eyes.

He had just gotten Marco back! If he left now… "Please stay."

And Marco complied, readjusting himself on the floor, but now, a silence hung between them.

Ace's heart was still beating very fast. There was no way that he misheard Marco, especially if he was acting like that. His head was still spinning too, the three words echoing over and over again.

He had said those words to Marco four years ago, and now Marco was saying it back. Ace shouldn't have been this way after all this time, and yet…

"Can… can you say it again?" Ace asked quietly.

This time, it was Marco's turn to gasp.

"I want to hear it again," Ace repeated.

He closed his eyes, flinching when he didn't hear anything, but then a thumb ran along his cheek, and as he opened up his eyes again, he found that Marco was staring right at him.

"I love you, Ace," he whispered as he leaned in.

Marco's lips pressed gently against his own, but they never pressed too hard, letting Ace decide, but Ace had wanted back then, and he wanted him now too. He reached up, letting his hand slide to the back of Marco's head to let him know.

To let him know that he still loved Marco after all this time.

Their kiss turned into many, and slowly, they leaned back into their pillows until Marco was above Ace, whose hands were held together behind Marco's neck. They loved each other, and they needed to show it. They kept their movements gentle and slow and gentle, wanting to burn this memory into their minds forever.

Neither of them wanted to stop.

When it was all said and done with, all Ace was aware of was Marco's warmth and their steady, quiet breaths as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Wow," Ace finally voiced.

Marco chuckled. "Yeah," he agreed, moving to lie down next to Ace.

"Did you… all this time?" Ace asked, unable to bring out all the words. He was still too shocked.

"I didn't realize it at first, yoi, but yes," Marco admitted. "I mean we were still so young, so I didn't know what to think at first, but seeing you again made me realize. I should've known that you would've hated me at first, but I didn't want to lose you."

"You know, I thought I was going to lose you too just now," Ace said. "I couldn't let that happen. I… I still love you, Marco."

He heard Marco's sharp intake of breath again, but soon after, he hummed contentedly, wrapping an arm around Ace. "Thank you," he breathed, pressing another kiss into Ace's soft, raven locks.

The movie had ended long ago, and they fell asleep together like that, Marco's arm around Ace, and Ace's head rested against Marco's chest, listening to his beating heart. Later, Sabo would come in and wonder at the mess, but smile when he saw Ace and Marco, taking a quick picture, and then Luffy would storm in later too and congratulate them.

To Ace, there was no other feeling like his first love, and he knew that he would never have another one of those nightmares again.

* * *

 **Please review! I would love to know what you think!**


End file.
